Proposed Gordon River Park could be named after you (for $2 million)

For a mere $2 million, you could buy the naming rights to Naples' proposed Gordon River Park.

Can't afford that much?

A 40-foot-high hill with a 360-degree view of the river and city is going for $1 million and a café building will sell for $800,000. At the lower end, palm trees or park benches will cost $1,000 each. And for the average Joe, a BBQ grill station will sell for $500 and 1,500 small and large brick pavers will go for $100-$300.

Naming rights are a lucrative way to raise money, so the city of Naples hopes to hold an auction March 15, during the Gordon River Park Gala, to garner up to $10.8 million to build the park. The park is expected to cost $15 million, but a reduced site plan – with many amenities eliminated – would cost $7.2 million.

On Wednesday, Naples City Council will vote on whether to raise money by offering naming opportunities for the park, which is expected to include kayak and canoe launches, walkways, terraced vistas, a carousel, dining areas, a boardwalk, rock climbing, gazebos and rain gardens.

"This isn't like a new, original idea for us, but we think it fits in with the idea of the park," said Mayor John Sorey.

Sorey said he's following the lead of the late Andy Holt, a former University of Tennessee president who recommended doing 10 "cultivation touches" before asking someone for a donation.

"You start with a suspect, then you turn them into prospects and then givers," Sorey said, declining to specify how many pledges he's received, saying only, "I have considerable interest in the naming opportunities."

Sorey said he's focusing on 40 items ranging from the $2 million park naming to $1,500, for 20 outdoor dining table sets. If someone wants to hold up a paddle during the auction to outbid someone who has pledged to buy something, he said, those high-ticket items, including a lake for $50,000 and a $25,000 waterfall, could sell for more.

For the past three months, Sorey has devoted about a quarter of his time, with his wife Delores, soliciting donors, meeting them at the 15-acre park property to show them what's up for auction and offering weekly breakfasts to hook the possible donors.

"The ultimate touch is Delores' breakfast at 6:45 a.m," he said, adding, "All the pledges I have came out of those cultivation efforts."

The nine remaining of the items – 30 street lights for $3,000 down to 500 4-by-4-inch small brick pavers at $100 each – will be auctioned off as "cash calls." That means anyone can hold up a paddle to bid.

Councilman Bill Barnett will be auctioning them off. For the past 30 years, Barnett has been in demand as an auctioneer in Southwest Florida. Since 1984, when Barnett first ran for council -- serving two terms, then two terms as mayor before coming back to council in 2011 -- the park never got off the ground.